Covid-19: WHO calls for better protection of children, currently the most affected by the pandemic – Franceinfo

Faced with the rebound of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe, the WHO called on Tuesday, December 7 to better protect children, currently the age group most affected by the virus. To avoid further class closures and the return of distance education, the European branch of the organization advises to strengthen testing in schools and consider vaccination of school children.

“The use of masks and ventilation, along with regular testing, should be the norm in all primary schools and childhood immunizations should be discussed and considered nationally.”

Hans Kluge, Director of WHO in Europe

in press conference

According to the WHO, cases are currently increasing in all age categories, “with the highest rates currently observed among 5-14 year olds”. “It is not uncommon today to see incidences two to three times higher in young children than in the total population”, underlined Hans Kluge, director of the WHO in Europe.

As for compulsory vaccination, decided or envisaged by certain countries, it must remain a recourse of “absolute last resort, only when all possible options to increase the vaccination rate have been exhausted”, estimates the WHO. The organization has again expressed its concern over the new Omicron variant, but called upon to combat the current dominant variant, the Delta for “a victory tomorrow against Omicron”.